History of Copa América in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 16, 2024

The Copa América is the most prestigious international men's football tournament in South America, contested between national teams. As the oldest continental football competition globally, it determines South America's football champion. Since the 1990s, the tournament has included teams from North America, amplifying its global appeal and making it the third most watched football competition worldwide.

1910: Precursor to Copa América

An international football competition was held in Argentina in 1910, featuring Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. This event, however, is not officially recognized by CONMEBOL.

1910: Donation of the Original Trophy

The Copa América trophy was donated by Argentina's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ernesto Bosch, for a commemorative tournament marking the centenary of the May Revolution.

July 1916: First Copa América Held

In July 1916, the first edition of the tournament, then called Campeonato Sudamericano de Football, took place, with Uruguay emerging as champions.

1916: Purchase of the Current Trophy

The current Copa América trophy was purchased in 1916 from "Casa Escasany", a jewelry shop in Buenos Aires.

1916: Inaugural Copa América

The first Copa América, then known as the South American Football Championship, took place in 1916, hosted by Argentina.

1918: Copa América Cancelled

The 1918 Copa América was canceled due to a flu outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, where it was supposed to be held.

1919: Brazil's First Championship

Brazil hosted and won its first Copa América title in 1919.

1920: Uruguay Wins in Chile

The 1920 Copa América took place in Viña del Mar, Chile, with Uruguay winning the championship.

1921: Paraguay's Debut and Argentina's Victory

Paraguay participated in Copa América for the first time in 1921, the same year Argentina secured their first tournament victory.

1926: Bolivia's First Appearance

Bolivia made their debut in the Copa América in 1926.

1927: Peru Joins the Fray

Peru participated in Copa América for the first time in 1927.

1928: Uruguay Victorious

Uruguay emerged as champions of the 1928 South American Championship.

1929: Argentina's Revenge

Argentina won the 1929 South American Championship, defeating Uruguay in the final match.

1930: First FIFA World Cup

The first FIFA World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay, impacting the regularity of Copa América in the following years.

1935: Special Copa América Edition

A special edition of Copa América was held in 1935, marking its return after a hiatus.

1939: Peru's First Victory and Ecuador's Debut

Peru hosted and won their first Copa América title in 1939, a tournament that also saw Ecuador make their first appearance.

1941: Chile Hosts and Argentina Wins

Chile hosted the 1941 Copa América, which coincided with the 400th anniversary of Santiago's founding. Argentina went on to win the tournament.

1942: Uruguay's Victory at Home

Uruguay hosted and won the Copa América in 1942.

1945: Start of Argentina's Three-Peat

Argentina began their streak of three consecutive Copa América titles in 1945.

1945: Argentina's Success in Chile

Chile hosted the Copa América again in 1945, with Argentina emerging victorious once more.

1946: Argentina's Second Consecutive Win

Argentina continued their dominance by winning their second consecutive Copa América title in 1946.

1947: Argentina Completes the Three-Peat

Argentina made history by winning their third consecutive Copa América title in 1947, a feat unmatched to this day.

1959: Two Copa Américas in One Year

The year 1959 saw two editions of Copa América, one hosted by Argentina and another in Ecuador, reflecting the inconsistent scheduling during this period.

1963: Bolivia's Maiden Victory

Bolivia hosted and won their first-ever Copa América title in 1963.

1967: End of Playoff Era

Prior to 1967, playoff matches were held to determine the champion in case of a tie at the top of the standings. This practice was discontinued after the 1967 tournament.

1967: Venezuela's Debut

Venezuela made their first appearance in the Copa América in 1967.

1970: Brazil's Last Official International Title

Before 1989, Brazil had not won an official international title since the 1970 FIFA World Cup.

1975: Trophy Without a Base

In 1975, the Copa América trophy was used without a base, similar to its original design.

1975: Copa América Renamed

In 1975, the South American Championship of Football was officially renamed to Copa América.

1975: Automatic Berths for CONMEBOL Members

Since its rebranding in 1975, Copa América has granted automatic berths to all ten registered national federations of CONMEBOL.

1975: Multiple Hosts for Copa América

The 1975 Copa América was held across multiple South American countries, a format repeated in 1979 and 1983.

1975: New Format and Name

The Copa América adopted a new format in 1975, with matches played across different countries throughout the year and the tournament officially becoming a quadrennial event.

1979: Addition of the Trophy Base

Before 1979, the Copa América trophy did not have a base. A three-level wooden base was added to the trophy in this year.

1979: Multiple Hosts Continued

The 1979 Copa América continued the format of having multiple host countries.

1983: Last Multiple Host Tournament

1983 marked the last time Copa América was held across multiple countries.

1983: End of Home-and-Away Format

Between 1975 and 1983, Copa América did not have a fixed host nation and was held in a home-and-away format. This format was discontinued after the 1983 tournament.

1984: Rotating Hosts for Copa América

CONMEBOL introduced a policy of rotating the hosting rights for the Copa América among its ten member confederations in 1984.

1986: Back to Single Host

CONMEBOL decided to return to a single host country format for Copa América, starting from 1987.

1987: Argentina's Return and Uruguay's Triumph

Argentina hosted the Copa América in 1987, their first time hosting in 28 years. However, Uruguay emerged as the champions.

1987: Gardelito: The First Copa América Mascot

Gardelito was the first mascot introduced for the Copa América, appearing in the 1987 edition.

1987: End of the Rotating Host Format

The format of having no fixed venue for Copa América, with matches spread across the year, ended in 1987.

1989: Brazil Wins Copa América on Home Soil

In 1989, Brazil won its first official international title since the 1970 FIFA World Cup by winning the Copa América held on home soil.

1991: Argentina Ends 32-Year Drought

Argentina won the 1991 Copa América in Chile, ending a 32-year wait for the title. The team was led by Gabriel Batistuta.

1993: Expansion of Copa América

In 1993, Copa América started to include teams from outside of CONMEBOL, with Mexico becoming a regular participant.

1993: Copa América Adopts Current Format

The 1993 Copa América in Ecuador saw the tournament take its current form, with CONMEBOL inviting two CONCACAF nations, Mexico and the United States, to join the ten South American teams.

1993: Invitation to Non-South American Teams

To reach the required 12 teams for the tournament format, Copa América began inviting countries from other continents, primarily CONCACAF, starting in 1993.

1995: Three Points for a Win

Starting in 1995, Copa América adopted the three-point system, awarding three points for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss.

1995: Uruguay Ends Decline with Copa América Win

Uruguay won the Copa América in 1995 as the host nation, marking the end of a period of decline for Uruguayan football.

1997: Brazil Begins Dominant Run

Brazil started a series of victories in the Copa América by winning the 1997 edition, defeating host nation Bolivia 3-1 in the final with goals from Leonardo, Denílson, and Ronaldo.

1997: Introduction of "Copa Bolivia"

Since 1997, a smaller trophy named "Copa Bolivia" has been awarded to the runner-up of the Copa América.

1999: Brazil Defends Copa América Title

Brazil successfully defended its Copa América title in 1999 by defeating Uruguay 3-0 in the final held in Asunción, Paraguay.

1999: Japan's First Appearance

In 1999, Japan, an AFC team, participated in Copa América, marking the first time a team outside the Americas joined the tournament.

2001: Brazil's Embarrassing Performance

Brazil's performance in the 2001 Copa América, where they were eliminated in the quarterfinals, was considered an embarrassment.

2001: Copa América Schedule Changes

From 2001, the Copa América was held every three years.

2001: Argentina's Withdrawal

In a rare occurrence, Argentina withdrew from the 2001 Copa América due to scheduling conflicts and security concerns, marking the only time a CONMEBOL member missed the tournament since 1975.

2001: Honduras Stuns Brazil, Colombia Wins

In a surprising turn of events at the 2001 Copa América, Honduras eliminated Brazil in the quarterfinals. Host nation Colombia went on to win the competition for the first time in their history.

2001: End of the Biennial Format

The Copa América reverted from a biennial to a quadrennial format after the 2001 edition.

2004: Brazil Wins Copa América after Penalty Shootout

Brazil redeemed themselves in the 2004 Copa América in Peru by defeating Argentina on penalties in the final.

2005: Mascots Introduced to Copa América

Every Copa América tournament since 2005 has had its own mascot.

2007: Brazil's Copa América Dominance

Between 1997 and 2007, Brazil asserted its dominance in the Copa América by winning four out of five continental titles.

2007: Copa América Moves to Four-Year Cycle

Starting in 2007, the Copa América adopted a four-year cycle, with the exception of the tournament's centennial celebration in 2016.

2007: First Rotation Cycle Completed

The first rotation cycle for hosting the Copa América was completed after the 2007 tournament in Venezuela.

November 2008: Argentina Confirmed as 2011 Host

Argentina was officially confirmed as the host for the 2011 Copa América in November 2008.

February 2011: Brazil Initially Set to Host 2015 Copa América

Brazil was originally scheduled to host the 2015 Copa América as per the rotation policy.

2011: Second Rotation Cycle Begins

A new rotation cycle for Copa América hosts, starting with Argentina in alphabetical order, began in 2011.

2011: Spain Declines Invitation

Spain received an invitation to participate in the 2011 Copa América but declined.

2011: Uruguay Makes History on Argentinean Soil

The 2011 Copa América, hosted by Argentina, saw Uruguay win the tournament for the third time, and second in a row. Uruguay beat Argentina in the quarterfinals, Peru in the semifinals, and Paraguay in the final. This marked the first time that neither Argentina nor Brazil reached the semifinals in a tournament they both participated in.

March 2012: Teixeira Resigns from CBF

Ricardo Teixeira resigned from his position as president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) in March 2012.

May 2012: Chile Confirmed as 2015 Host

The decision to swap hosting rights for the 2015 Copa América between Brazil and Chile was officially confirmed in May 2012.

2014: Brazil Hosts FIFA World Cup

Brazil hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup, leading to a swap of hosting duties for the 2015 Copa América with Chile.

2014: Brazil's Busy Sporting Schedule

Brazil's hosting of the 2014 FIFA World Cup was a factor in their decision to swap Copa América hosting duties with Chile.

2015: Chile Wins First Copa América Title

Chile hosted and won the 2015 Copa América, securing their first-ever Copa América title.

2015: Chile Hosts Copa América

Chile hosted the 2015 Copa América after swapping hosting rights with Brazil.

2015: China's Invitation and Withdrawal

China accepted an invitation to participate in the 2015 Copa América but later withdrew due to scheduling conflicts.

April 2016: Introduction of Copa América Centenario Trophy

In April 2016, a commemorative trophy was introduced for the Copa América Centenario, celebrating the competition's 100th anniversary.

June 2016: Copa América Centenario Makes History

The Copa América Centenario, held in June 2016 in the United States, marked the first time the tournament was hosted by a non-CONMEBOL nation.

2016: Brazil Hosts Summer Olympics

Brazil hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics, further solidifying their decision to swap hosting duties with Chile for the 2015 Copa América.

2016: Copa América Centenario

The 2016 Copa América, named Copa América Centenario, was a special edition that included 16 teams, with six teams from CONCACAF and all ten from CONMEBOL.

2016: Copa América Centenario: A Historic Tournament

The Copa América Centenario, held in the United States, marked the tournament's 100th anniversary and was the first time it was held outside of South America. The tournament featured an expanded field of 16 teams from CONMEBOL and CONCACAF and broke attendance records with 1.5 million spectators and an average of 46,000 per match through the semi-finals.

2016: United States Hosts Copa América

The United States became the first non-CONMEBOL country to host Copa América in 2016.

2016: CONCACAF Qualification for Copa América Centenario

To accommodate the expansion to 16 teams for the Copa América Centenario in 2016, qualification stages were introduced for CONCACAF teams.

2019: Brazil and Chile Swap Hosting Rights

Brazil and Chile agreed to swap hosting rights for the 2015 and 2019 Copa América tournaments.

2019: Brazil Wins Copa América at Home

Brazil hosted and won the 2019 Copa América, defeating Peru in the final at the Maracanã Stadium to secure their ninth title.

2019: Japan and Qatar in Copa América

The 2019 Copa América saw Japan return and Qatar make their debut, representing the AFC in the tournament.

2020: Copa América Schedule Aligns with Euros

CONMEBOL decided to permanently move the Copa América to even years, starting with the 2020 edition, to align with the UEFA European Championship.

November 2021: Colombia Withdraws as Copa América Host

Colombia was set to co-host the Copa América in November 2021, but withdrew due to widespread protests and concerns over COVID-19 cases.

2021: Australia's Invitation and Withdrawal

Australia was invited to the 2021 Copa América but withdrew before the tournament due to scheduling issues.

January 2023: United States to Host 2024 Copa América

In January 2023, CONMEBOL and CONCACAF signed an agreement that included the United States hosting the 2024 Copa América with six CONCACAF teams participating.